Candice's chocolate, mint and coconut cake

She confessed to a blip at Christmas, but Alison is back on the sugar-free wagon after her stint on ITV documentary Sugar Free Farm. We couldn’t make her stand by while Candice whipped up a calorific treat, so instead the Bake Off winner has come up with a naturally sweetened chocolate mint and coconut cake. Not a grain of sugar in sight!

Ingredients

140ml melted coconut oil (plus more for greasing)200g coconut sugar3 large eggs30g high percentage cocoa powder100g mint dark chocolate chopped into small pieces (I use Lindt mint intense) or high percentage dark chocolate140ml boiling water10 mint leaves finely chopped125g ground almonds25g desiccated coconut½ tsp bicarbonate of sodaPinch of salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160c (fan). Lightly grease and line a 25cm / 10 inch spring-form tin.

• In a mixing bowl add the oil, sugar and eggs. Use a food mixer to beat on a medium speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.

• Place the cocoa powder in a heat proof measuring jug, break up the chocolate into small pieces and add with the boiling water- mix until the chocolate melts and then stir in the mint leaves

• In a steady stream, pour the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mix on a low speed until combined.

• Add in the ground almonds, coconut, bicarbonate soda, pinch of salt and mix in with a spatula. The mix will be very runny but this is fine.

• Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

• Remove and allow to cool

• Decorate with mint leaves if you wish